Design enhancement for back rubber flap

The back rubber flap is very flimsy and is prone to catch gaps in between the garage concrete floor. I would like to recommend a design enhancement for these. 1) If the bottom of the back flap is thicker and rounded it is less likely to catch any gaps.2) This flap is so flimsy that it it get caught some where it will tear with very small force. I reinforced this with a metal rod. The will strengthen the flaps. Please find the attached pics

Mine broke at exactly the end of the screw. While the rod solution may
be the best, I first thought of getting a much longer stainless steel
screw and reattaching it. May as well epoxy the break too. Since I am
still under warranty and the thing broke on mow #3, I am hopeful they
will ship me a few new ones. We shall see.

Have there been a lot of complaints about the flap tearing? Mine are fine after two years, and with the rough we mow over, including occasional small hidden stumps and rocks, you'd think it would have had a problem by now. It seems what is being taken for "flimsy" is really built-in flexibility. instead of offering resistance to an obstacle, it floats or bends over it. Increasing the rigidity would seem to defeat this function, causing it to catch more frequently on impediments. Less "give" increases the likelihood it will have to tear or detatch as you try to move over it. just my two cents.

It looks like the rod diameter is smaller than the hole diameter its passing through. Smaller enough so that there can be some movement of the rod in the hole. You can see in the first 2 pics the broken piece of flap. One in the hole and then on the rod. I think the thin rod reinforces the rubber without limiting movement or play so the rubber won't tear where it protrudes through the holes in the mower.Who knows how many of those are breaking, but I've seen a fair number mentioned here.